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helpful. Once you have turned a few perfume bottles and become familiar with what makes a good transition, it may be more enjoyable to design as you turn. Preparing the b lank I start with a 2-in.-sq. billet of wood about 5 in. long. This will yield a bottie about 3 in. high because 1 in. on eiti1er end will be consumed in the chucking process. Mount the billet between centers, turn it to a cylinder and then turn a spigot-a round tenon-on each end. The size of the spigots is not critical provided they offer a crisp shoulder for alignment and fit the ·chucking device you plan to use. Determine where you want to divide the base and Iid-a 3:2 base-to-lid ratio is about right-and part through the cylinder (see the bottom left photo on the facing page). Turn绔臒g the base The first step in turning the base is to mount the blank in the spigot chuck and true up the exposed end of the cylinder. This process, repeated with the lid, will ensure a clean seat between ti1e two. Next drill a hole to receive the glass vial. This is best accomplished with a drill chuck and bit mounted in the tailstock of the lathe. The hole should be about YI6 in. deeper than the height of the vial less the threads. Check the fit by inserting the vial into the hole. If the hole is undersized, turn it larger witi1 a small square-nosed scraper small skew. A slightiy loose (but not sloppy) fit is best. If the fit is too tight, or fu- ture movement in the wood could cause the vial to break. The exterior shape of the base can now be turned. To shape the bottle, I use %-in. and Y4-in. English-style spindle gouges with a fairly long fingernail grind. These gouges can be used on edge with ti1e flute to the side to cut fine details, as shown in the center photo on the faCing page. When you are satisfied with the shape, You can make a substitute for a Nova chuck by cutting a recess in a waste block screwed to a faceplate. Glue the base blank into the recess with gap-filling cyanoacrylate adhesive. After turning and parting off the base, face off the waste block, and turn a new recess to fit the lid blank. Low-tech chuck Faceplate to be recessed about Y32 in. Before sanding, hold the base up against the lid to see how the design works. If adjustments need to be made at the transition between the lid and the base, now is tl1e time to make them. Final turn绔臒g The lid and base of the perfume bottle are now completely turned and finished except where they were parted off the blank. what is left of the waste cylinder sand and apply finish with the piece on the lathe. I use abrasive paper cut into Y2-in. ribbons to sand the piece. The narrow strips make it possible to run the edge of the paper up against small beads and to sand in tight areas without removing crisp details. For a natural finish, I apply three coats of padding lacquer with a soft cloth, buffing down each coat witl1 0000 steel wool. Apply the first coat with the lathe off to allow the lacquer to penetrate before it dries. The next two coats can be applied with the piece spinning. Follow the lacquer with a coat of paste wax; then part the piece off, and set it aside for final turning. Turn绔臒g the lid The lid of the perfume bottie can be made the same way as the base, with several deviations. Unlike tl1e slightly loose fit of the vial in the base, tl1e fit of tl1e vial cap in the lid should have no play at all. And to ensure wood-to-wood contact when the lid is screwed onto the base, make the hole in the lid deep enough to allow the cap mounted in the chuck, turn a spigot to fit the vial hole, and mount the base on it, as shown in the bottom right photo on the faCing page. The fit should be tight, secure enough to allow you to do the last bit of turning. The bottom of the base can then be shaped as desired. At this stage of the turning, I find it helpful to support the base with my left hand while controlling the tool with my right hand. I also bring my left thumb over the top of the piece and onto the tool rest where it acts as a fulcrum for the gouge, permitting a very fine, controlled cut (see the photo at left below). Before removing the piece from ti1e lathe, sand and finish the section you have just turned. To mount the lid, you may need to add Gn to the diameter of the spigot witl1 a wrap of masking tape or to reduce it with a turning chisel. Once the lid is securely mounted on the spigot, turn, sand and finish it following the procedures used for the bottom of the base. Gluing in the vial Cradling the base in his left hand, the author uses his left thumb as a fulcrum to produce a finely controlled cut. Aligning the grain-With the cap already glued hard, Christensen presses the vial into the base, being sure to align the grain. With the turning complete, what remains is to secure tl1e vial and vial cap in the turned pieces. There are two options to consider here: One is to glue the vial cap inside the top of the perfume bottie, but allow the vial itself to be freely removed and reinserted into the wooden base. In this case, the perfume bottle is opened by sliding the vial out of the base before unscrewing the top. The second option is to glue both the vial and the vial cap into their wooden counterparts. The advantage of this option is that, if properly done, ti1e grain of tl1e lid and base will automatically line up when the lid is screwed in place. This technique also proVides a bit of mystery as to the shape of the vial-it might be assumed that it follows the exterior shape of the base. One drawback of this method is that if the fit is too tight, or if the wrong adhesive is used, movement in the wood can cause ti1e vial to crack. I still prefer the second option though it requires a little more care to ensure a good grain match. To glue in boti1 vial and lid, start by mak- September/October 1993 87